1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vehicle interior lighting system and, more particularly, a lighting system for lighting an ashtray, a cigar lighter, and a console in a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In installing lighting on an ashtray, a cigar lighter, or a console, it has been common practice to provide bulbs, one bulb for each of the ashtray, the cigar lighter, and the console, so that each of them has dedicated lighting individually.
There is a conventional lighting system for an ashtray and a cigar lighter in which the ashtray and the cigar lighter having a translucent lighting ring are placed parallel in a vehicle width direction. Rearwardly of the lighting ring, a translucent light receiving portion and a light emitter are disposed. The light emitter is located rearwardly of the translucent light receiving portion, and at an intermediate position between the translucent light receiving portion and a side surface of the ashtray to throw light toward the translucent light receiving portion and an opening surface of the ashtray. In such a lighting system, a louver-shaped polarization filter for allowing light incident on a forward portion to pass toward the opening surface of the ashtray is disposed at a position oblique in the vehicle width direction to head forwardly from a side of the light emitter facing the ashtray (see, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 1990-264).
According to Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 1990-264, the disposition of the louver-shaped polarization filter, because of its incident angle characteristics, prevents leakage of direct light from the ashtray, or leakage of light from a clearance between the side surface of the ashtray and the side surface of a center cluster. Thus, appearance is improved, and these types of light can be effectively used for lighting the translucent lighting ring of the cigar lighter.
However, the above-described conventional lighting system needs to provide the cigar lighter with the lighting ring, and has to switch on lighting whenever there is used the console extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle below the ashtray and the cigar lighter, and having a storage compartment, etc. provided therein. These have been minimally convenient, for example, in the nighttime.
The present invention has been accomplished in light of the above-described problems. It is an object of the invention to provide a lighting system capable of improving convenience with a simple configuration.